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[civilwarwest] Nathan B. Forrest

Hello all, While studiying the Civil War in the West, a moral problem keeps resurfacing which I, as a German and with regard to Germany s recent history find

Message 1 of 48
, Jan 12, 2000

Hello all,

While studiying the Civil War in the West, a moral problem keeps resurfacing
which I, as a German and with regard to Germany's recent history find both
difficult and fascinating and which I can't quite figure out: Should we judge
the men who fought the war by more than strictly military standards? This
applies, in my view, mostly to N. B. Forrest. Not only was he an astonishing
soldier, who would have done any military academy proud even though he was
completely self-taught. He also was a slave-trader before the war, which in my
view (which is admittedly a 20th century one) is a profession that makes a pimp
look respectable and he was an influential figure in the Ku-Klux-Klan after the
war. I just can't bring myself to see his considerable military exploits
detached from this, and I really don't know if I should. To me, this question is
especially important regarding my own country's history, in short: Can we or
should we respect the military genius of a man who was a devout Nazi (many
German Generals were) Mind you, Southerners, I don't call Forrest a Nazi!
I'd love to get your views on this problem!
Thanks, Nils

Dick Weeks

Hi Joe, I was waiting to hear from you. Yes, I did understand it to be a hatred of the US. So did a lot of other folks judging by the amount of mail I got

Message 48 of 48
, Jan 14, 2000

Hi Joe,

I was waiting to hear from you. Yes, I did understand it to be a hatred of
the US. So did a lot of other folks judging by the amount of mail I got
through the website. However, I will accept that it was not. Never the less
it was still off topic.

I want you and everyone in the group to know that I work very had to insure
that my website presents the facts as I know them to be about the war. No
where on the site, other than my "personal opinion page", will you see me
interject anything that is not or cannot be documented. The same cannot be
said for other sites. I hold this group to the same standards. I in no way
want to stifle someone's right to express an opinion. As long as it has to
do with the Western Theater of Operations and you state it is your personal
opinion, feel free to fire away. But you have to understand that the group
was not set up to discuss the rightness or wrongness of displaying the
battle flag, whether or not slavery was wrong, whether or not the American
Indian was treated shabbily, or even whether or not Jeff Davis and the
Confederacy were traitors. The group was established to discuss the
operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. If the topic is
drifted from on occasion, I generally allow that. Discussions, whether they
be face to face or on the Internet generally do. But I will not allow the
occasional drift to become the new course.

Yes, I am in charge of this list and no I don't want to take you off, nor do
I want you to take yourself off. If that had been my objective I would have
done so last night. I think you have a lot to offer and I for one am anxious
to learn. By the way, if there is to be a response to this mail either by
you or any member of the group, I would prefer it to be via private mail and
not to the group. As far as I am concerned this issue is closed.

> Hi Dick(aka Shotgun)--
>
> Sorry you misunderstood my meaning. If you are in charge of the List,
> please feel free to take me off it if you think this post if filled with
> "hatred." I did not say I "hate" the USA that is your perception of what I
> wrote.........

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